What is an ISBN number and why do you need one?
ISBNs are the global standard for book identification. ISBN stands for International Standard Book Number, and is a unique 13-digit numeric identifier linked to a book. It identifies the publisher (that is you if you are self-publishing) as well as the specific book title, edition and format.
Do you need one? There may be instances where you don't need an ISBN number, however there are so many advantages to having one that it is strongly recommended.
Some of those advantages include:
- It establishes the publisher of record
- It improves the likelihood your book will be found and purchased because, by having an ISBN, your book is included in databases that booksellers and libraries use to find books
- It links to essential information about your book
- It enables more efficient marketing and distribution of your title
- It helps you analyze sales
An ISBN is not necessary if you do not intend to place the book in stores or libraries.
The Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi) had a very informative and helpful blog post in their Self-Publishing Advice Center last week that I recommend reading. It explains in-depth about the ISBN number, why you need one - and why you may choose not to have one.
If you are publishing multiple forms of your book, for example, a hard cover, paperback, and an eBook, each of those will need its own ISBN number. ISBN numbers are available for purchase from Bowker. On their website, they offer several options for purchasing them. If you plan to write multiple books and offer them in multiple formats, my recommendation is to start with the block of 10 because it brings the cost per ISBN number down substantially. ISBNs never expire, so you will have them available for future use as needed.
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